The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the experiences of safety and security management students, enrolled in an undergraduate course in the Netherlands, and present quantitative data from an online survey that aimed to explore the factors that have contributed to students’ satisfaction with, and engagement in, online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. The main findings suggest an interesting paradox of technology, which is worth further exploration in future research. Firstly, students with self perceived higher technological skill levels tend to reject online education more often as they see substantial shortcomings of classes in the way they are administered as compared to the vast available opportunities for real innovation. Secondly, as opposed to democratising education and allowing for custom-made, individualistic education schedules that help less-privileged students, online education can also lead to the displacement of education by income-generating activities altogether. Lastly, as much as technology allowed universities during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue with education, the transition to the environment, which is defined by highly interactive and engaging potential, may in fact be a net contributor to the feelings of social isolation, digital educational inequality and tension around commercialisation in higher education.
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Cancer and its treatments cause significant changes in sexuality that affect the quality of life of both patients and their partners. As these issues are not always discussed with healthcare professionals, cancer patients turn to online health communities to find answers to questions or for emotional support pertaining to sexual issues. By using a discursive psychological perspective, we explore the social actions that participants in online health forums perform when discussing sexuality. Data were collected by entering search terms in the search bars of three online health forums. Our analysis of 213 threads, containing 1,275 posts, provides insight into how participants who present themselves as women with cancer account for their sexual issues and, in doing so, orient to two intertwined norms: Having untroubled sex is part of a couple’s relationship, and male partners are entitled to having untroubled sex. We discuss the potential harmful consequences of orienting to norms related to sexual behaviour. Yet, our findings can also help healthcare professionals in broaching the topic of sexuality in conversations with cancer patients. The insights of this study into what female patients themselves treat as relevant can assist health professionals in better aligning with patients’ interactional concerns.
The unexpected death of a child is one of the most challenging losses as it fractures survivors’ sense of parenthood and other layers of identity. Given that not all the bereaved parents who have need for support respond well to available treatments and that many have little access to further intervention or follow-up over time, online interventions featuring therapeutic writing and peer support have strong potential. In this article we explore how a group of bereaved mothers experienced the process of participating in an online course in therapeutic writing for the integration of grief. Our research questions were: How do parents who have lost a child experience being part of an online course in therapeutic writing? What are the perceived benefits and challenges of writing in processing their grief? We followed an existential phenomenological approach and analyzed fieldwork notes (n = 13), qualitative data from the application and assessment surveys (n = 35; n = 21), excerpts from the journals of some participants (n = 3), and email correspondence with some participants (n = 5). We categorized the results in three meaning units: (1) where does my story begin? The “both and” of their silent chaos; (2) standing on the middle line: a pregnancy that does not end; (3) closures and openings: “careful optimism” and the need for community support. Participants experienced writing as an opportunity for self-exploration regarding their identities and their emotional world, as well as a means to develop and strengthen a bond with their children. They also experienced a sense of belonging, validation, and acceptance in the online group in a way that helped them make sense of their suffering. Online writing courses could be of benefit for bereaved parents who are grieving the unexpected death of a child, but do not replace other interventions such as psychotherapy. In addition to trauma and attachment informed models of grief, identity informed models with a developmental focus might enhance the impact of both low-threshold community interventions and more intensive clinical ones. Further studies and theoretical development in the area are needed, addressing dialogical notions such as the multivoicedness of the self. Lehmann OV, Neimeyer RA, Thimm J, Hjeltnes A, Lengelle R and Kalstad TG (2022) Experiences of Norwegian Mothers Attending an Online Course of Therapeutic Writing Following the Unexpected Death of a Child. Front. Psychol. 12:809848. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.809848
Sommige mensen met chronische ziekten zoals COPD hebben baat bij (online) zelfzorg, andere helemaal niet. Welke oplossing werkt nu eigenlijk bij wie? In de TASTE-onderzoekslijn kijken we naar het succes van zelfmanagement en eHealth bij mensen met een chronische ziekte.Doel De TASTE-onderzoekslijn (TAilored Self-managemenT and E-health) richt zich op zelfmanagement van chronisch zieken: het vermogen van patiënten om goed met hun ziekte om te gaan. Er zijn talloze hulpmiddelen voor beter zelfmanagement op de markt, vaak digitaal (eHealth). Maar het is onduidelijk wat nu echt werkt en bij wie. TASTE bestaat uit meerdere deelonderzoeken. Wij onderzoeken wat er nodig is om ondersteuning op maat te bieden voor het omgaan met een chronische ziekte. Daarnaast ontwikkelen we nieuwe methodes voor zelfmanagement. Hiermee willen we kosten verminderen van de zorg voor chronisch zieken en de behandeling verbeteren. Resultaten Onderzoeker Jaap Trappenburg over TASTE https://youtu.be/J4ndcf83sBI Promotieonderzoek mHealth bij COPD M-ACZiE: Omgaan met longaanvallen bij chronische longziekte Publicaties 'We zitten voor een dubbeltje op de eerste rang' (V&VN Magazine) 'Zelfmanagement bij chronische ziekten'(Huisarts en Wetenschap) 'Self-management: One size does not fit all' (Patient Education and Counseling) TASTE Nieuwsbrieven TASTE Nieuwsbrief 1 (2012) TASTE Nieuwsbrief 2 (2013) Brochure TASTE: Het succes van zelfmanagement ontrafelen Looptijd 01 januari 2012 - 31 december 2020 Aanpak Met innovatieve onderzoeksmethoden werkt de TASTE-onderzoekslijn aan nieuwe kennis die nodig is om antwoord te kunnen geven op de vraag welk type interventie het beste werkt bij welk patiëntprofiel.
